Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Copycat
The is a "one of a kind" and very bizarre Zoan-type Devil Fruit eaten by young pirate Pounce D. Luk. Appearance Though it has not appeared in present day due to being eaten, the Copycat fruit's appearance before being consumed has been displayed through flashbacks. It is often compared to (and pre-consumption) mistaken for a cartoonish hairball, the kind that an ordinary cat would spit out. Roughly spherical, it is a dark gray in color with the occasional streak of silver or other colors. Its body is covered in swirls like its fellow Devil Fruits, though these blend in much better due to its unique coloration and texture. According to Luk, it was apparently quite furry and dusty, its outer flesh tasting as if he was ''eating a hairball. The fruit's stem is light silver in color and quite whispy, sticking out from the top like a stray hair; thus, it can often be mistaken as something other than what it is. Once bitten into, the inside is revealed to be more fruitlike: quite mushy, with a mix of purple and light orange pulp. Usage The main purpose of this Devil Fruit, is, as one would expect from its name, the ability to "copy". However, this power is different than one would expect from a Devil Fruit capable of copying abilities from others, as to some extent it appears still bound by the rules of the Zoan-type Devil Fruits in unique ways, as well as the weakenesses present within Devil Fruits in general. The Neko Neko no Mi, Model: Copycat is capable of duplicating other Devil Fruit abilities within a series of set limits. In order to duplicate an ability, Luk must first either observe it in action for a considerable amount of time or receive a direct attack from the user. One naturally takes a much longer time than the other; Luk must be continously observing (and generally fighting, except for rare cases) the opponent using the Devil Fruit for a great period of time and gain an "understanding" of it in order to absorb and duplicate the ability. However, the reward for this drawback is that copied ability retains much of its "depth", unparalled to that of the other method. In contrast, simply taking an attack is more advantageous if the young pirate desires to take the ability in a hurry, though as consequence the ability becomes much more "shallow", with Luk only receiving the base power and not any of the subuses or derivatives of its base abilities. Thus, the latter method is more useful for quick applications. Either way, when he has observed or taken an attack with the Devil Fruit active, Luk can freely copy the ability and have it take effect in his body, allowing him to use it as if it was his own... to some extent. As mentioned above, depending on the manner of copying he can only use so much of the Devil Fruit ability. While if he has observed it for awhile before duplication he gains access to a greater amount of its powers and has a greater chance of gaining perfect control over the fruit's abilities, him taking an attack and absorbing it means he can only access the base power as he has observed it thus far. It is not a total copy or even a perfect one, merely one based on what he has already seen or deduced about the Devil Fruit in question. In addition, the intangibility gifted to one who has eaten a Logia-type is denied him, as the Copycat fruit requires him to be in physical form in order to work properly, meaning that he can only access the elemental manipulation of a Logia. Being doused with water appears to "short circuit" his abilities, either scrambling them around in their 'slots' or potentially removing one entirely if it is active whilst he is fully submerged. At the beginning of the series, Luk can copy only 3 Devil Fruit abilities, which are selectively placed into '''slots '(スラット, Suratto). Each ability rests within a slot, and switching slots not only modifies his appearance in a Zoan-like fashion, but also changes the ability he can use as well: *'Human Form '(人型, Hito-gata)- Unique among Zoan-types, the Copycat fruit possesses a Human Form distinct from when it is inactive. In other words, it is its own transformed state rather than being the user as normal. When this form is activated, Luk acquires the stripes present in its Man-Beast and ful Beast Forms all over his body, though his overall physical structure and appearance remains the same. Protrusions akin to whiskers have been seen in this form on occasion, and he appears to also grow a thin layer of the fur that will in later forms cover the whole of his body. However, due to their white color and overall thinness, they can only be seen by a very close observer, and even then they blend in with his skin very well. In this state, Luk's senses are enhanced greatly, especially those of smell and hearing, allowing him to detect an incoming cannonball from several miles away without any indication observable to those around him. His strength and speed are also increased, as in this state he is capable of outrunning attacks such as the aforementioned projectile and even saving a child along the way. He can also deal punches and kicks with greater strength than an ordinary person, enough to crack and nearly destroy the incredibly strong metal Seagar's gauntlet is made of. However, the overall boosts are the smallest out of the forms, and a well-trained human or those with Devil Fruits can fight evenly with, and often surpass, the physical capabilities of his Human Form. It is, however, one of the two most convenient of his forms to use copied powers, as very little change is done to his physical structure. Currently, the Devil Fruit held in this slot is the Onibi Onibi no Mi. *'Man-Beast Form '(人獣型, Jinjū-gata)- This form is often considered Luk's most powerful form in combat, as it combines the best of both worlds from its Human and Beast Forms. Man-Beast Form allows the young pirate to transform his body into a fusion of his human form and that of his full transformation. When this occurs, he undergoes physical changes, much greater than the previous form and much less than the one that follows. Like the Human Form, Luk will gain the various stripes associated with the copycat he can become, and a great deal of fur will also cover his body and hair. As a result, his form becomes pure white, save for the stripes covering his body. Interestingly, the color of the stripes will change based on the Devil Fruit that he has copied in this state. His bone structure appears to change as well, with his movements becoming more catlike and the bones in his arms and legs becoming more feline. His tailbone has also grown and spread out, allowing an actual cat's tail to emerge from the area just above his rear. Luk's eyes become catlike as well, gaining the signature pupils and attaining its yellowish-green coloration. When in this state, the physical and sensory boosts granted by the Human Form are all drastically increased, allowing him to truly fight as if a human and animal hybrid. This includes greater strength, durability, and smell. Due to the increased capabiliites, Luk is also more durable and can take more blows without visible damage being shown. Occasionally, he will appear a bit bulkier, but this seems to vary. He has access (to a limited extent) the powers of the Human Form, and can also store one within this slot as well. Currently, it is home to the /Shiru Shiru no Mi/. *'Beast Form '(獣型, Kemono-gata)- Luk has also shown the capacity to "mix" different abilities when shifting between forms, accomplishable via using both the Devil Fruit ability connected to whatever form he is currently in, as well as accessing those in the forms below to a limited extent. A similar effect has been shown after training, with Luk using selective transformations to combine abilities. Strengths & Weaknesses Base Techniques All of Luk's technique names (especially in his base state) appear to be named after either classical pirate phrases or cleaning terminology. * - Luk's most basic attack, a simple punch from either of his arms aimed directly at the enemy. During his childhood it was an ordinary blow and nothing more, but after consuming his Devil Fruit (and before copying any abilities) he uses it as his most basic technique. The use of the technique's name after several ordinary punches seems to imply that it now carries more force than Luk's ordinary attacks. It is at least strong enough to shatter Seagar's specially-reinforced gauntlet, and as its user grows in strength so too does the technique. It is later enhanced by his use of the /Onibi Onibi no Mi/ and other Human slot items. Its name is derived from two things: "rum" (a cliche favored drink of pirates) and the classic piracy phrase: "run a shot across the bow", a command to fire a warning shot. Due to this, it is sometimes translated as Run Shot. * - With his Human Form activated, Luk unleashes a vicious barrage of punches. They move so quickly that his hands appear to multiply (blurring all the while) and it feels as if he striking the opponent in several places at once. The name is typically used to refer to any series of punches from Luk, ranging from two to hundreds at a time. Its name is derived from the classic phrase "Shiver me timbers". * - One of Luk's original standard kicks when in his human form state. Specifically a tornado kick, it involves Luk propelling himself off a convenient surface and unleashing one or more kicks whilst spinning midair. Typically, he focuses on a single strike, though he can unleash several at once to make it a kick-based variant of Shiver Timber. Notably, the single strike is apparently stronger than the multi-faceted version. The name of this technique is taken from the pirate's phrase "boom about", referring to when the boom of a ship swings around rapidly in a storm to the point where it can kill someone if it picks up enough steam. Trivia External Links Category:Zeon1 Category:Devil Fruit Category:Zoan Devil Fruit Category:Brave Pirates Category:Proud Line